Electrical device



June 2, 1953 E. M. CARBARY 2,640,871

ELECTRICAL DEVICE Filed July 16. 1949 ATTOR N EY- EDWARD M. CAR ARY,'.

Patented June 2, 1953 UNI TED S ll '2;640,871-

ELECTRICAL DEVICE 1 Edward M.' Gar-batty;south fictdnfiMass; essigncr to United=ar'r Fastener ear-notation, Ga'm bridge, Mas's., a corporation of Massachusetts "AppIication JiiIyIG, 1949,Seria1 No."1'05,190

(want- 366) G -Claims. .1

This invention'relate's generally to dry plate rectifier assemblies," and has particular reference to=a rectifier having a locking lug for holciihg the plates in assembly, and to'-a-sheet metal 'locking lug for use in such rectifiers.

The-object of the invention is'tol provide a rectifier assembly having a plurality of rectifier plates stacked on a center support rod, in which a sheeti'netal locking lug is'niountedoneach end of the rod to retain the plates assembled thereon.

-A further object of the invention is to provide adry plate rectifier assembly having resilient Washers interposed between rectifier plates assembled on'the rod, in which a sheet metal locking lugis mounted' on each end cf the rod-tor retain the plates compressed together on the red.

A further object of the: inventionis to provide asheetmetal'locking lug for assembly on the end of a center rod of a dry-plate rectifiertoengage the rod to retain the plates in assembly, s'ai'dl-ug being adapted to complete an electric circuit Wit/11811 outermost rectifier plate; and having means thereon for connecting "an electricallead-Wire.

Other objects of the invention Will, in partfbe obvious, and will, in part, appear hereinafter.

For a 'fuller understanding of the riatureahd objects ofthe invention, reference should be' ha-ld to the following detailed description, taken Tin conjunction 'with'the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1' is a pIan-Vi'eWbFa sheet'm etallocking lug fo-r mounting on'thec'en-ter shaft of a dry plate rectifier'to engage theshait and retain the plates in assembly;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation'of the locking mg of Fig. 1;

"Fig. '3-is a'plan View of a rectifier assembly embodying the features of the invention;

Fig; 4 is a-view in elevation of the rectifier assembly in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5' is a viewin elevation, partly in section, of a portion of the rectifier assembly "of Fig. 4, showing theaction of the locking lug; and

Fig. dis a. view in section taken on line'tli of Fig. 1. I

Referring to the drawing, there-is illustrated a h ya-plate rectifier assembly [0, Which cornprises a plurality "of rectifien plates I2 mounted on an insulating support'rodl l, withspacing members [6" interposed between adjacent "plates. The spacing members lii'-serve t0"S 1 t plates to allow air 1 circulation therebetween to dissipateheat generated in the pIates diiringop- 4 between the spacers and the pl-ate's.

erationofthe rectifier, and -alsd'serve aselectrical coiinectors between adjacent plates. '-F0r thisreason the spacers are preferably resilient. so that they {are capable l of being compressed when therectiiier'plates re forced together duringas'seinblyto provide good "electrical contact I Thevsupport: rod M is 'p'reierably' formed of an insulating synthetic 'organ-ic 'pla stic, such as a phenolforirialdehydefiype-resin,or the like, which is both" strongenough' to' 'suppdrt map-1am; and yet sufiicientlyfdeforinable 'to-"allow the loeking lugs to dig into the surface as vvill be hereinafter-"described.

To retain the plates in assembly on the red, alocki'n'g lug I BHs'niounted 'on each'-*end of the rod beyond"each diiterinost plate, and the lug is shaped and arranged to'e'n'gage the-rod after the plates have been ro-reed together, to retain the resilient spacersunder compression. "The lockmg: lug l 8 preferab'ly comprises a base 20 which is-ad'apted tol bear against a n o'utermost rectifier plate l2 for electrical contactftherewith, and -an extending arm' 2 2 f'dr connectingan electrical lead wire ncit' sho iv n) "to the rectifier. As illustrated in Fig. "4, in some cases, for electrical reasons; ai-resilient washer l t-may: also be-interposed between the lug t8 and the adjacent outermost reotifierplate. The base 2 nof the lug is provided with an opening'zll for receiving the support =ro'd 4, and a 1 first or lower series "of tongues '26 is disposed on"-the'base='about the opening. The tongues 26 "extend into" the opening,;preferab1y inthes-plane-of'the base, to receive the rod 14 centrally thereof. The'relative dimensio ns' of the rod andthe portion of the opening boiunded by-the' inner-ends of the tongues 26 are' such that' the rod can 1 freely enter the opening between the en'ds oi" the tongues. Asecend orupper series pf' tongues 'm'is disposed on the ba'se about the opening VM, "and the upper tongues Z-8 exten d upwardly froin thebase '20 and inwardly-overportion of the opening. The; relative dimensions-oi the rod and the upper tongues 2=8rare 'such th'at" the upper tonguesmust be neaed f urther upwardly by the rod :tofiallow the: lug to"be'inserted thereon. 'The ends 30 of the 'tonguesi i 8 are' shaped and arranged 1 to dig into engagement-with the plastic insulating rod I4 to prevent the "g from -backl'ngdff the rod.

assemply efthe rectifier :by "use or the lirei ribfcire describe bking iugs-is ":easi-1y: accempiishd flo merelyrplacmg:a lug on eachzend cf t-he having theqtlatesi'and'ispacers assembleuz thereon, and fereing the lugs onto the rod under a predetermined controlled pressure to enage the outermost plates and compress the resilient spacers IS. The lower series of tongues 26 serves to center the lug in position on the rod so that when the end of the rod contacts the ends 30 of the upper series of tongues, each of the upper tongues 28 is forced upwardly to allow the rod to enter therebetween. By this means, each tongue 28 is subject to the same amount of flexing by the rod, and consequently, the engaging force of all the tongues with the rod will be substantially equal.

Since the tongues 28 extend upwardly to engage the rod [4 at an angle, the lug It may be moved further onto the rod since the tongues 28, during such movement, drag along the surface of the rod, but the lug cannot be moved in the opposite direction, since in this case the ends 30 of the upper tongues engage the surface of the plastic rod. Consequently when the plates I2 are forced together during assembly, thereby compressing the resilient spacers I8, the spacers tend to expand to force the lugs off the rod, which causes the tongues 28 to dig into engagement with the surface of the deformable plastic rod M. By this means, the expansive force of the spacers not only forces the lug into engagement with the rod, but also provides good electrical contact between the component parts of the rectifier.

Since certain obvious changes may be made in the device without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained herein be interpreted in an illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A rectifier assembly comprising a plurality of stacked rectifier plates spaced apart by compressible spacer members, said plates and said spacer members having aligned openings therein, a center insulating plastic support rod disposed through the openings having a substantially smooth exterior surface, and a locking lug disposed on at least one end of the support rod beyond the outermost rectifier plate to retain the plates assembled and compressed together on the rod, said lug comprising a base and an arm extending from the base having means thereon for connecting an electrical lead wire, said base having an opening therein to receive the rod, a series of tongues extending upwardly from the base and inwardly over the opening for engagement with the exterior surface of the rod, and other means on the base for centering the rod in relation to the'tongues to provide uniform engagement of the tongues with the rod.

2. A rectifier assembly comprising a plurality of staclzcd rectifier plates spaced apart by compressible spacer members, said plates and said spacer members having aligned openings therein, a center insulating plastic support rod disposed through the openings having a substantially smooth exterior surface, and a locking lug disposed on each end of the support rod beyond each outermost rectifier plate to retain the plates assembled and compressed together on the rod, said lug comprising a base and an arm extending from the base having means thereon for connecting an electrical lead wire, said base being adapted to complete an electric circuit between the outermost rectifier plate and the extending arm, and having an opening therein, a first series of tongues disposed in the plane of the base and extending from the base into the opening to receive the support rod centrally thereof, and a second series of tongues disposed about the open-' 4 ing and extending upwardly from the base and inwardly over the opening, said second series of tongues being shaped and arranged to be flexed upwardly by the rod when the lug is assembled thereon and to engage the exterior surface of the rod, the first series of tongues serving to position the rod centrally of the second series of tongues to insure equal flexing of each of the lower tongues.

3. A rectifier assembly comprising a plurality of stacked rectifier plates spaced apart by compressible spacer members, said plates and said spacer members having aligned openings therein, a center insulating plastic support rod disposed through the openings, and a locking lug mounted on each end of the support rod to retain the plates assembled and compressed together on the rod, said lug comprising a base and an arm extending from the base for attaching an electrical lead wire, said base being adapted to complete an electric circuit between the outermost rectifier plate and the arm, and having an opening therein, a lower series of tongues disposed in the plane of the base and extending from the base into the opening to receive the rod centrally thereof, and an upper series of tongues extending upwardly out of the plane of the base and inwardly over the opening, said upper series of tongues being shaped and arranged to be flexed upwardly by the rod when the lug is assembled thereon and having ends adapted to dig into engagement with the rod, said lower series of tongues serving to position the rod during assembly to insure equal flexing of each of the upper tongues to provide uniform engagement with the rod.

4. A locking lug for assembly on a plastic support rod of a dry plate rectifier to retain the plates in assembly thereon, said lug comprising a base adapted to bear against an outermost plate for electrical contact therewith, and an extending arm disposed on the base having means thereon for attaching an electrical lead wire, said base having an opening therein to receive the rod, a lower series of tongues disposed in the plane of the base and extending from the base into the opening to receive the rod centrally thereof, and an upper series of tongues extending upwardly out of the plane of the base and inwardly over the opening, said upper series of tongues being shaped and arranged to be flexed upwardly by the rod when the lug is assembled thereon and having ends adapted to dig into engagement with the rod, said lower series of tongues serving to position the rod during assembly to insure equal flexing of each of the upper tongues to provide uniform engagement with the rod.

5. A locking lug for assembly on a rod for locking engagement therewith, said lug comprising a base having an opening therein, a terminal receiving arm extending radially outward from said base, a lower series of tongues disposed on the base about the opening, said lower series of tongues extending inwardly into the opening in the plane of the base to receive the rod centrally thereof, and an upper series of tongues disposed on the base about the opening and extending upwardly from the base and inwardly over the opening, said upper series of tongues being shaped and arranged to be flexed upwardly by the rod when the lug is assembled thereon and having ends adapted to dig into engagement with the rod, said lower series of tongues serving to abut the side of the rod and position it centrally of the upper tongues during assembly to insure equal flexing of each of the upper tongues to provide uniform engagement with the rod.

6. A locking lug for assembly on a rod for lock ing engagement therewith, said lug comprising a base having an opening therein, an arm extending radially outward from said base including means for receiving an electrical lead Wire, a first series of tongues extending from the base into the opening to receive the rod centrally thereof, and. a second series of tongues extending inwardly and upwardly from the base, said second series of tongues having ends shaped and arranged to be flexed upwardly by the rod when the lug is assembled thereon, the lower series of tongues serving to position the rod centrally of the second series of tongues to insure equal flexing of each of the tongues of the second series.

EDWARD M. CARB'ARY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

